HOMEWOOD, Alabama -- Emily Schultz, the governor's education policy director, outlined to more than 100 people tonight Gov. Robert Bentley's education reform plan -- including charter schools -- which many educators in the audience said will hurt public education at a time when the budget already is in dire straits.

Schultz, speaking at Samford University, laid out Bentley's four-pronged plan, which includes allowing charter schools in Alabama and tying teacher evaluations to student achievement. Charter schools are publicly funded schools that don't have to follow all of the rules, regulations or statutes that apply to traditional public schools. In return, the schools must produce certain results, which are outlined in each school's charter.

His plan also includes a $300 tax credit for teachers using their own money to purchase classroom supplies and allowing school districts more flexibility when it comes to their budgets and curriculum. "Until every single child has access to an excellent education, we cannot slow down," Schultz told the audience of mostly teachers and administrators at the Wright Center Concert Hall.

Schultz fielded questions about two of the most controversial parts of Bentley's plan: charter schools and teacher evaluations.

"Let's just be clear here," she told the audience. "We're talking about a very limited number of charter schools."

The bill hasn't been released to the public, but Schultz said the draft lawmakers are working on now is 53 pages and would only allow 50 charter schools statewide over the next five years. As far as the teacher evaluations, Schultz said the state Department of Education is creating the evaluation tool and that student achievement data will be only one part of the evaluation process.

That did little to comfort Rose Anne Beasley, a retired teacher. She said Bentley's entire plan is bad for public educators.

"Who's going to pay for all of this?" she said. "The dollars and cents don't add up. I think the whole problem the governor has is with money."

She said teachers already took a major hit in salary last year because of increases in retirement and benefits costs.

"You cannot take money with one hand and promise to give it back with another," she said.

"I think the governor's plan will devastate our public schools in the Black Belt and urban areas," he said. "The facts are that charter schools in Alabama would take students, money and jobs away and AEA will fight that."

Hyche said merit pay and tying student achievement to teacher evaluations will also fail.

"If the governor really wants to help teachers, then instead of giving them $300 tax cuts, give them back the $1,000 pay cut you took from them last year," he said, referring to the increase in cost of employee retirement and benefits.

Jefferson County Superintendent Phil Hammonds said he thought the discussion was healthy, and he looked forward to learning more about the proposed flexibility for school districts.

"I think it's important for all of us to have these kinds of conversations," he said. "We do all have the same thing in mind, and that's the children."